The real hero's are the Caregiver's

It has been a a couple of weeks since I have updated my blog due to my extended vacation in the hospital :(  Today marks my 11th day in a hospital give or take 24-48 hours when they sent me home and thought I was getting better.  I want to complain about not eating any food in 11 days but this is also the 11th day of being away from my boys, which trumps anything else I am feeling.  As I sit here in my room I notice other family members and friends visiting other patients on the floor.  The looks on some of their faces reminds me instantly that no matter what I am going through my heart breaks for my husband.  He has been by my side through my illness and with this new road block he is once again having to carry this heavy stress of taking care of me and our children.  Let me give you an example of a day in my husbands life....  Cancels all work to drive me to our Illinois hospital because I am so dehydrated that it is dangerous.  He holds my hand and rubs my back as they have to put a new NG tube down my nose all while he has a tissue wiping away my tears. Rubs my back as I throw up.  Sits at my bedside to be at my beckon call along with the nurses questions and answers because I am to weak to speak and the tube hurts to much.  Doesn't eat anything because he is so stressed out about me that he cannot even think about food.  Has to arrange for a close family friend to get the boys off school bus because he doesn't want to leave me alone just yet.  Helps me wash up and get settled before he has to kiss me goodbye to drive 1 1/2 home to get the boys homework done.  Then he has to do his coach duties and go hold practice for the soccer team.  Now it is 8pm and a drive thru is going to be dinner of choice because he simply has run out of time.  The whole time he is worried about me, texting and calling me to make sure I am ok.  He puts his phone by his ear so if I call in the middle of the night he can get the call and he stresses to call him no matter what time.  The next day he gets up, gets boys up fed, lunches made and drives them to school to just turn around and hit the highway for the 1 1/2 drive back to me and repeat the same schedule over the next day.   I am simply amazed by this man!  I have told several people before that no matter how I suffer as the patient the real hero is the caregiver and that is 100% truth.  If you have someone you know that has been in the caregiver position currently or in the past give them a hug for me!  Sympathize for them because that has to be one of the hardest jobs on this planet to care for your loved ones as they are suffering or in pain while watching it all unfold at the same time.  My dad has traveled up to spend time with me in the hospital to try to help my husband as much as possible.  I am so lucky to have so many people as cheerleaders to get me better and I have no way to every be able to repay them for this.  The one thing I want to do is make sure that everyone knows that they are the real hero's!